To London
by Lipsticked Mirror
Summary: Rachel has moved to London to escape her past. Noah is searching for the missing piece of his almost perfect life. A twist of fate brings the two friends together again, and the pair must figure out what to do from there. I suck at summaries, sorry.
1. Almost There

**Author's Note: This is my first Glee fic, so please be kind. This story is kind of a future fic/AU, but we'll see.** **It's rated T, just because.**

I remember Daddy told me: "Fairytales can come true.  
You gotta make 'em happen, it all depends on you."  
So I work real hard each and every day,  
Now things for sure are going my way,  
Just doing what I do.  
Look out boys I'm coming through

-_Almost There_ in _The Princess & The Frog_

_

* * *

_

"Mom, don't worry. I'm coming home tomorrow. Please, stop harping at me," Noah Puckerman groaned. He had hoped that, after graduating college and getting a Master's degree and snagging a job, his mother would finally realize that she didn't need to worry about him. But even at twenty-seven, Noah still got daily calls from his mom with her worrying about whether or not he was taking vitamins and eating properly.

"Well, Noah, I need to know what time your flight comes in so that your sister and I can pick you up on time," his mother said calmly.

He sighed, realizing that there was no way he was going to get out of her interrogation. "I leave L.A. at 9 in the morning, so I should be there by 4 in the afternoon."

"All right then, we'll be there. Noah, dear—"

"Sorry, Mom, I have to go. I have a meeting in five minutes," Noah lied quickly, interrupting his mother before she went off on another one of her tangents. "But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

After saying his goodbye, Noah placed the phone back in its cradle and sighed.

He leaned back in his oh-so-comfortable office chair and propped his feet on his desk. Looking around at the office, Noah wondered how everything had come to this.

Ten years ago, his seventeen-year-old self was sure that he was going to be a Lima Loser. After pulling his grades up some and improving his football skills in his last couple of years in high school, Noah managed to get a scholarship to Ohio State and get a degree in sports management. He decided against going into the NFL, even though his prospects of being drafted were high. Instead, he chose to go to Columbia in New York to get his MBA. Within two years, he had somehow managed to work his way up, becoming a renowned sports agent in Los Angeles, representing athletes everywhere.

Success had its perks, but Noah didn't really feel complete. Something was missing in his life, something that couldn't be filled with money or success.

The lyrics of a song from one of his sister's favorite Disney movies came to his mind: _"I'm almost there…"_

He just couldn't figure out what was missing.

Noah looked down to the picture on his desk that showed the McKinley High Glee Club with their humongous trophy from the 2010 Nationals competition. He couldn't help but smile as he remembered how excited everyone was. His eyes traced over everyone and halted on one smiling face: the face of Rachel Berry.

Without thinking, Noah was smiling goofily at the picture. When he caught himself, he sighed. He hadn't spoken to Rachel in years, not since their sophomore year of college when they lost contact.

At the National Glee competition, Noah realized that he was kind of in love with Rachel Berry. However, he knew that there was no point in starting a relationship with her because he would hold her back. A couple of years later, Noah was even more sure that he made the right decision as he stayed in Ohio for college and Rachel left with Finn and Quinn to the University of Southern California so that she could be in their "amazing" theater program. In reality, it was because the school was so close to Hollywood, and Rachel wanted a big break to happen.

Maybe coming home for the holidays would be a good opportunity to catch up with some of his old friends, he thought. After all, Rachel had to be coming home to Lima to celebrate Chanukah with her dads, right?

And maybe, just maybe, coming home for the holidays would help him. He could clear up his past with Rachel and then focus on his future. Maybe then, he'd finally be able to find the missing piece of the puzzle.

He was almost there.

* * *

Stepping off the airplane, Noah Puckerman took a deep breath of the cold, December air of Ohio.

In one moment, one breath, everything came rushing back at him. Memories, people, sensations…

As he exhaled, Noah was reminded with the reality of his situation. He was back home.

He exited the terminal with his luggage to find his mother and sister Naomi waiting for him. Both had smiles that widened even more when they saw Noah, and the two Puckerman women outstretched their arms to pull him into a hug.

His mother chattered incessantly, asking Noah about his flight and about why he hadn't brought home a nice Jewish girl for Chanukah. Naomi Puckerman grabbed Noah's carry-on bag in one hand and took his free arm. The two siblings exchanged a look, in which the younger Puckerman conveyed sympathy to her brother by rolling her eyes.

By coming home, Noah realized that he would be subjecting himself to his family's undivided and unwanted attention. But maybe it was a good thing.

_Maybe home really is where the heart is_, Noah thought. _Maybe I'll find my answers here._

Little did he know that his answers were definitely not in Lima, Ohio. No, they were somewhere very, very far away.

* * *

**Another Note: I just had the Princess & The Frog song stuck in my head since I saw it today, and I thought that it kind of applied. YOU SHOULD SEE IT! But before you do, please review! Yay, nay, eh? All forms of critique would be helpful. Let me know if you guys want to see my Puckleberry continue. It starts out a little bit slow, and we won't see Rachel for another couple chapters, but I promise that there will be some Puckleberry action soon!**


	2. All I Want For Christmas Is Rachel

**Author's Note: Oh my goodness. Ok, so first of all, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who put this on story alert, made it one of their fave stories, and/or reviewed. I had no idea that I would end up getting about 80 e-mails, implying that so many people are into the story. So thanks, again. Also, I just wanted to clear something up. I know that I said this was kind of AU, but after some thought as to my plot, it really isn't. So I'm sorry that I told a bit of a lie, but it was totally unintentional! It's totally a future fic. The only thing "AU" about this is that Quinn never got impregnated by Puck, let alone hooked up. And, I may or may not be able to post up the third chapter until the New Year, considering that my teachers love assigning me so much homework over Winter Break (stupid APs… haha) and that I've gotta finish college apps (though I already got an acceptance letter!). I wanted to get this one up before Christmas, since it's kind of Christmas-themed. SO… yeah. Enjoy!**

* * *

Santa Claus won't make me happy  
With a toy on Christmas day.  
I just want you for my own.  
More than you could ever know.  
Make my wish come true.  
All I want for Christmas is you.

—_All I Want for Christmas is You_ by Mariah Carey

* * *

Although he was not one to celebrate Christmas (being Jewish and all), Noah decided that going to Artie Abrams' annual Christmas party/Glee Club reunion would be a good idea.

He hadn't seen his fellow Glee Clubbers in four years—not since Finn's wedding. Noah had kept in touch with most of them throughout the years with Facebook and Skype and whatnot, but nothing could beat face-to-face time with his friends. Plus, the chance to see Rachel Berry again was one that was too hard to pass up.

As he stood on Artie's doorstep, Noah rocked on his heels with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. He wasn't sure of what he was going to say when he saw her. _Hey, how've you been?_ _How's it goin', Berry? Still sexy as hell, huh?_ The series of opening lines ran through his mind, and Noah rejected every single one. He would just have to wing it when he saw her.

He hesitantly rang the doorbell and, two seconds later, the door was wrenched open by none other than Finn Hudson.

"Puck?" Finn asked in disbelief. The new Cleveland Browns quarterback laughed jovially and pulled his best friend into a quick but bone-crushing hug. "Long time no see, buddy."

"Yeah, man. It's been awhile," Noah replied, stepping inside Artie's invitingly warm home and closing the door behind him. "How've you been? How's the new 'job' going?"

Finn laughed again. "Fantastic. You can't believe how relieved I was when I found out that I could be traded. New England was just too cold! Plus, it's nice to start for once instead of being back-up, you know?"

"Totally. I'm happy for you. It's great that you get to be back home too, right?"

"Yeah. I think that Quinn wasn't too keen on leaving Massachusetts, but she was so relieved to be back in Ohio again," Finn said. "But it's also probably because she's been in so many places the past few years. I mean, the transition from California to New England… it's nice to just be back in familiar weather."

Noah chuckled. Finn and Quinn defied the stereotype of high school sweethearts everywhere. "And how is the wife?"

"Good. Pregnant. Again. With twins," Finn said guiltily. He leaned in towards Noah and whispered, "I think she wants to kill me now. Or get me fixed. I can't really blame her though. Debbie was born just over a year ago and is finally able to sleep through the entire night."

Clapping Finn on the shoulder with sympathy, Noah asked, "And where is that little beauty? I think it's about time that I meet my goddaughter in person."

Finn led him to the living room where Quinn and Brittany were sitting on the couch, with baby Debbie bouncing on Quinn's lap. Quinn wasn't showing yet, so she couldn't be more than three months pregnant. Noah looked around, hoping to see Rachel somewhere talking to someone, but to little avail.

Brittany noticed him first. "Puck! It's been a long time!" she squealed. She jumped up and hugged him excitedly. When she let go, she looked up at his face and then frowned. "Where'd your Mohawk go?"

"It's been gone for a while, Britt. Remember?"

"Oh…" Brittany frowned, thinking hard. "No."

Noah laughed. She hadn't changed one bit.

He took a seat near the couch when suddenly everyone realized that he had arrived. All of the former Glee clubbers gathered around the living room to catch up with their once-Mohawked friend.

* * *

Brittany told Noah that she just got married and would have invited him to the wedding, except she forgot where she put all of the invitations. He met the lucky guy Edward, who actually turned out to be dimmer than Finn. _Maybe it really is a match made in heaven,_ Noah thought.

Matt and Mercedes, both dentists and sharing a practice, had been waiting for the last of the party to arrive to reveal that Mercedes Jones would soon become Mercedes Jones-Rutherford. While all of the women began to fawn over Mercedes' ring and then men clapped Matt on the back, Noah wondered what they meant by "the last of the party to arrive." Did that mean that Rachel wasn't coming?

Noah was shocked to hear that Tina and Artie had broken up a few years ago. Neither one had mentioned this before to him, both claiming that they simply forgot. According to Tina, the two realized that the spark was gone and that they had grown apart romantically. They remained best friends, though. Tina and Mike (after realizing that they were not related in any way, shape, or form) were preparing for a March wedding, while Artie proudly announced that he was enjoying the single life.

Later on in the party, Santana revealed to Noah that she and Artie had been secretly dating the past few months. He was happy to see that the former ice queen actually had a sparkle in her eye—was it love? He didn't really know, nor did he feel like he was in a position to figure it out.

Kurt came solo to the shindig, but he was excited to talk about his new boyfriend—a well-known celebrity that was busy filming in New Zealand during the holidays.

Mr. and Mrs. Schue (formerly known as Miss Pillsbury) also made an appearance. However, the two had to leave early to pick up their eight-year-old from a birthday party.

After catching up with everyone present, Noah had to ask the one question that had been on his mind for most of the night.

"Where's Rachel?"

* * *

**Ending Note: Cliffhanger! I couldn't resist ;) I know that I'm procrastinating on the Puckleberry action (which will occur in a couple or few chapters), but I just kinda wanted to make a back story with everyone else too. Don't give up on me yet! The next chapter should be posted up soon though. So watch out!**

**I wanted mentioned this earlier, but I kind of wanted y'all to read the story before you get all excited. So here's the news: The Glee producers were so excited to see the response to the Puckleberry romance, so they want to bring it back in future episodes!!!!!! YAY!!!! (Personally, I think it's partly because there are more than twice as many Puckleberry fanfics than there are Finchels. So, yay us!) There's a link on the "Puckleberry fans" group on Facebook.**

**Join the "Puckleberry fans" group on Facebook for the latest Puck and Rachel goodness that isn't found on Fanfiction!**

**Remember that reviews are love!**

**(And I apologize that I keep writing so many Author Notes .)**


	3. The Reason Why

How can you mend a this broken man?  
How can a loser ever win?  
Please help me mend my broken heart  
And let me live again.

-_How Can You Mend a Broken Heart_ by Michael Bublé

* * *

His question was met with silence.

Most of his friends' faces scrunched up in confusion, while Finn and Quinn exchanged quick, guilty glances.

"Oh yeah, I almost didn't notice. Where is Rachel?" Brittany asked. "I haven't seen her since…I don't remember."

Noah turned to Finn. "She wasn't even at the wedding, was she?"

Finn shook his head. "Rachel was supposed to be Quinn's maid-of-honor, but she couldn't make it. But it was cool. We saw her a few days later and hung out with her on our honey—"

Quinn elbowed her husband in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him and making him gasp for air. Clearly something was amiss, and it was something that all of the Glee clubbers were not supposed to find out.

"On your honeymoon?" Noah urged. He racked his brains, trying to remember where his friends had gone on their honeymoon four years ago. "You saw her in London? What was Rachel doing in London?"

Right then the oven _pinged_. With an expression of relief passing over her face, Quinn announced, "I made my famous snickerdoodles! Artie was nice enough to let me use his kitchen so that they would be fresh and piping hot. You should go get 'em." When no one made a move, she curtly added, "Now."

Everyone scrambled to the kitchen except for Noah, who stubbornly stayed seated, and Finn, who almost left until Quinn grabbed him and hissed, "I didn't mean _you_."

"Well?" Noah asked impatiently. "What's going on?"

Quinn carefully handed Debbie to Finn, who was steadily avoiding Noah's gaze. The female half of the golden couple then folded her hands and placed them in her lap. "Well… Rachel lives in London. She's been there for the past five years."

"Oh? And why is it such a big secret?"

"She's embarrassed, though she really has no reason to be. But that's Rachel for you," Quinn sighed. "It's kind of a long story, and it's not really my story to tell…"

"Just tell me, Quinn. I've been worried about her for the past however many years it's been. I was hoping to see her tonight, but I guess she's not home for the holidays."

Quinn laughed bitterly. "Yeah, she refuses to come back to the States for any reason. Rachel just usually flies her dads out for the holidays, and I think that they prefer to spend Christmas in London than in Lima."

Finn stopped bouncing Debbie and turned to his wife. "Babe, I think we should just tell him. It's not that big of a deal anyway…I'm sure that Rachel wouldn't mind if we told Puck."

Before Quinn could get a word out, the group of cookie eaters came back into the living room, laughing about a joke that Mike had told. She motioned to Puck and Finn to move with her to a more secluded area of the house where they could get a bit of privacy.

After seating herself at the kitchen dining table, Quinn nervously rubbed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her slacks as she searched for the right words to say.

"Puck, did Finn ever tell you the real reason for why he wanted to leave the Pats?" she asked.

"He said something about the weather and coming back home," Noah replied.

Seeing that his answer was the wrong one, Quinn continued, "Well, the real reason was that they were bringing in Dean Matthews to play wide receiver. You know the one?"

Noah nodded. Of course, he knew Dean. He tried to get him as a client, but lost out on his representation to a bigger and better agent. He wasn't sore about it, and Matthews was nice about it. He was a pretty good guy, easy to get along with and generally charming.

"Well, Finn and Dean don't exactly get along well anymore because of Rachel.

"See, they both played football for SC. Finn as quarterback, Dean as wide receiver. They instantly became best friends because they worked so well together. Subsequently, Dean always hung out with Finn, Rachel, and me.

"After a couple of months, Dean asked Rachel out. They were incredibly adorable together, practically inseparable but not too much, you know? Everyone thought that they were perfect for each other, even Finn and I.

"They were together all four years of college, later earning the name incredibly lame name 'Deachel.' Dean was so in love with Rachel and proposed during our sophomore year on their one-year anniversary. Rachel, of course, turned him down saying that it was too soon and that they both needed to focus on the future. But she told him that if they were still together when they both graduated, he could propose again and she may have a different answer.

"Rachel and I both went up to New York for the NFL Draft a couple of years later to support Dean and Finn. The day before the draft, Dean took Rach to Radio City Music Hall, where the draft was going to be. He proposed to her there, saying that his life was going to change the next day and t. hat he hoped that she would take on a bigger role in the new life. She said yes.

"They were engaged for a year. Everyone was excited, including Dean, and Rachel was bouncing off the walls happy. But a month before the wedding, Dean ended the engagement and didn't give Rachel a reason. All he told her was that he didn't think that their marriage would work out. So she cancelled all of the wedding plans, tied up some loose ends, and moved to London with a broken heart. She couldn't handle staying in the States because she felt like she wouldn't be able to avoid seeing him everywhere.

"Finn, I think, was almost worse off than Rachel was. Dean was his best friend—after you, of course. He even threw a few punches to defend Rachel's honor. Dean has tried to mend their friendship, but Finn refuses. Ergo, he decided to leave the Pats when the news broke of Dean coming in. End of story."

Noah stared blankly ahead of him. He couldn't really believe that anyone would just _dump_ Rachel Berry, that anyone would give up the chance to be happy with her. Matthews had a good thing going for him, and he just gave up. Noah wondered about how Rachel was holding up, hiding away in London to avoid all of the pain.

"How is she now?" he asked quietly.

Quinn gave him a small smile. "She's doing better. A lot better. I think that London's been good for her."

An idea popped up in Noah's mind. "I'm going to London in a few days, actually, for a client of mine. Think you can give me her address? I want to see her again and to catch up."

"Of course. Send her our love."

* * *

**Author's Note: Here it is! Sorry it's late. I meant to get it up right after Christmas, but other things got in the way (Writer's Block + Visiting Family + Homework + Holidays + Everything else = VERY distracting). **

**It may kind of suck (especially the ending), and for that I'm sorry. I'm not even sure if I should continue this, since the interest has kind of gone down (Hint: I adore reviews). Anyway, writing this kind of gave me an idea for another story that I may want to write—Puckleberry, of course. But we'll see. If this story gets a really good response, I may just consider it. **

**Also, I hope to get the new chapter up soon! I want to do it before New Year's, but I just have so much going on that I may not be able to. So forgive me if the next chapter (which takes place before and on New Year's) is late.**

**Anyways, enjoy! Have a Happy New Year!**

**Too-da-loo,**

**Me**


	4. To London

The long and winding road  
That leads to your door  
Will never disappear  
I've seen that road before  
It always leads me here  
Lead me to your door.

—_The Long and Winding Road_ by The Beatles

* * *

Noah stood in the airport, his foot tapping impatiently on the linoleum floor. _He's late_, he thought.

Four days after Christmas, Noah was ready to leave Lima once again. He re-packed his bag and promised his near-to-tears mother that he would return for her birthday in March. His mother and sister drove him to the airport, where he kissed his mother goodbye and hugged Naomi tightly.

He had been waiting the past half an hour for his client Jake O'Malley to arrive. Noah was more than a little ticked that the internationally-famous soccer star's flight was delayed as their flight to England was in less than three hours. Noah groaned at the thought of having to go through the hassle of security in the bustling airport.

Finally, the monitor screen changed, showing that Jake's flight had arrived. About ten minutes later, Noah looked at his Blackberry, receiving a text from Jake. It read: _Dude, I'm here. Don't freak out, man. Just go through security, and meet me at Starbucks in the international terminal. _The kid knew him pretty well.

Noah groaned and grabbed his carry-on, heading to the escalators. The line for security was fairly short, so he got through quickly. He made a beeline straight for the Starbucks immediately on his right after leaving the security line. Noah let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jake sitting at a table, headed toward him, and took the other open chair.

"At ease, soldier," Jake said, saluting him. "Please don't throw that conniption fit you're dying to have. Here." He pushed a venti-sized cup at Noah. "Columbian brew, just the way you like it. Two Splendas, and enough cream to make it tan. You look like you need it."

Noah took a sip of the coffee gratefully. He looked up at the "kid" and had to smile. Jake O'Malley was one of his most successful clients. The six-foot-three muscularly lean guy with short blonde hair and green eyes was good-looking, charming, and a great athlete. If Noah had a vagina, he would totally want to tap that. Fortunately for Jake's image and sales, the female and gay male population felt the same way and wanted him while every man wanted to be him. Noah snagged the 23 year-old soccer star as his first client two years ago, and the two had become incredibly close. Noah made it a point to watch out for the kid's back; he had come to think of Jake O'Malley as the little brother he never had. After all, he knew that the kid had a crush on Naomi, who would be turning twenty in seven months. (He threatened Jake to stay away from Naomi until she turned twenty-two, what he considered an acceptable age for her to start dating.)

"Thanks, kid," Noah said. "You ready to head to London and kick some corporate ass?"

"What are we doing there again?" Jake said. He wasn't exactly the brightest bulb, and in some ways he reminded Noah of Finn.

"There are quite a few British sports store chains that want you to be their spokesperson. They figure that it would be good to have a Yank in their advertising, and it would be a great way to make a bigger name for yourself in the international market," Noah explained. "It'll be fun."

"Oh yeah, _totally_ fun," Jake said as he rolled his eyes. The kid could still be pretty immature.

_Let's hope that the Brits don't care_, Noah thought. "Buck up, kiddo. This trip isn't all business, you know. We're gonna have a kick ass time."

* * *

Waiting for the plane to take off, Noah tried to make himself comfortable in his business class seat. He looked at Jake out of the corner of his eye; the kid was already bopping to whatever tune was on his iPod. The coast was clear.

He pulled his way-too-expensive black leather wallet out of his back pocket and opened it. Between his driver's license and the company AmEx was the very thing he was searching for: Rachel Berry's senior class picture.

Noah studied the picture. It was well-worn from all of the years he pulled it out to stare at it. Rachel was breathtakingly gorgeous in the picture, with her megawatt smile and an unusually relaxed posture. He flipped the picture to read the message that filled up the entire back:

_Dearest "Puck,"_

_Just so you know, I've always hated that moniker. It's stupid, insipid, and irritating. It would only make sense if it alluded to the Puck in William Shakespeare's fine piece "A Midsummer's Night Dream," but you refuse to be referred to as a sprite because it is too similar to a fairy. _

_Noah sounds so much more mature and attractive. It's a charming Jewish name._

_I'm going to miss your "badassness" and lovely arms when I'm in LA, but rest assured that I will never forget them! Even when I'm a famous star one day, I will always look back and remember our times together with great fondness._

_You may want to keep this picture, as the autograph itself may be extremely valuable when I'm a world-class celebrity!_

_With love,_

_Rachel Berry_

She even drew a gold star next to her name.

Noah absentmindedly ran his thumb over the infamous gold star. God, he missed her.

He looked back at the picture to smile at the "autograph" at the bottom right corner. He remembered when she went all out buying silver gel pens and Sharpies to sign pictures and yearbooks with during their senior year. She made him drive her back to the store again the next day because she needed to purchase matching gold pens for her "metaphors".

He was so engrossed in his memories that he jumped when he heard, "Damn… who's that beauty?"

If it weren't for the seat belt holding him down, Noah would have slammed his head into the carry-on compartment. He turned to look at Jake, who was practically drooling at Rachel's image. Sighing, Noah playfully slapped Jake on the backside of his head. "Retract the tongue, kid, before a bug flies in your mouth."

Jake did so. "So? Who is she?"

"This girl I went to high school with. Her name's Rachel—Rachel Berry, the one that got away," Noah admitted. "I'm hoping to see her when we get to England, since she lives there now and I haven't seen her in, like, eight years."

"Did you date her?"

"No. I wanted to," Noah confessed, "but it was too complicated."

"Complicated, my ass. I don't buy it," Jake scoffed. Waving off Noah's glare, he continued, "Either way, now is the time of the essence. You get your butt to London and make her fall in love with you. Bam, you get the girl that got away."

"Let's not forget that I'm going there to do business for you," Noah reminded him.

Jake snorted. "Don't worry, man. Plus, you said that we were going to have some fun. And we will. I turn on the charm, you negotiate the deal—we're good. Plenty of time for you to snag the chick."

"I'm not going there to 'snag' her, anyway. I just want to catch up with her," Noah said.

"Sure," Jake deadpanned. "And I'm going there to sex up the Queen of England."

Noah shook his head, giving up on the conversation. The engines were running and the plane was moving, ready to take off. Unfortunately, he hated the take off portion of the flight and usually just tried to sleep through it. He put the picture back in his wallet, then turned back to Jake. "Please just shut up. Oh, and never call a girl a chick." Noah winked. "Naomi hates it."

* * *

Flopping backwards on the hotel bed, Noah was prepared to take an afternoon nap. Until he heard an incessant knocking on his room's door.

He opened it to find Jake, perky as ever.

"What is the purpose of your visit? Business or pleasure?" Noah asked.

"Purely pleasure," Jake said, oblivious to his friend's sarcasm. "Our meetings aren't until tomorrow, so we have the rest of the day to do whatever."

"Okay, then. Go away. I want to sleep."

Jake sighed. "No. Noah, you are going to find Miss Rachel Berry and talk to her. You're here. You've waited eight years. Why waste another second?"

And that is how Noah found himself down at the concierge's desk asking for directions to Rachel's address.

After getting off at the wrong stops twice, Noah finally got to the right station. He walked out of the London Underground and onto the streets, following the directions he got from the concierge until he found himself in front of the nice row brick apartment buildings. Noah walked until he found the right numbered door.

_This is it,_ he thought. _After eight years, it's come down to this._

He knocked.

The door opened.

He held his breath.

The woman that opened the door wasn't Rachel Berry.

* * *

"Hi…Who are you?" the woman asked, the tone of her voice contrasting completely to the music that was playing in the apartment. Her questioning eyes glinted furiously against her dark chocolate skin.

"I-I'm Noah. Noah Puckerman. Um… does Rachel Berry live here?" Noah stuttered.

"You a friend of hers?" she asked, still suspicious.

He nodded. "Yeah, I was in the Glee club with her in high school."

"Oh," she said, visibly relaxing. "Come on in, then." She opened the door to let him through to the foyer and called out, "Oy! Rach! Visitor!"

Noah grew nervous with anticipation as he heard footsteps coming down the small staircase. Then, he saw her.

Rachel's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Puck?!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry that this is late! I have been so busy with catching up with all of my homework before school starts up again tomorrow. Unfortunately, because of all the delay that is for sure to happen, my storyline will be kind of behind. You know? Like a lot of the plot happens around really early January, but I may not post until later on… so please bear with me. I'm kind of going through a lot right now with my family and school, so I may not be able to post as regularly as possible. **

**But your reviews make me happy and encourage me to write as fast as possible! I'm really glad that a lot of people have put this on story alert. It puts a smile on my face when I'm really down.**

**Anyway, so next chapter should be in Rachel's point of view and may be quite a bit shorter. We'll be catching up on Rachel's life and then seeing how she and Noah interact :) ****Yay!**

**Love,**

**Lipsticked Mirror**


	5. Making Lemonade

Smile, though your heart is aching.  
Smile, even though it's breaking.  
When there are clouds in the sky,  
you'll get by.  
If you smile through your pain and sorrow,  
Smile and maybe tomorrow,  
You'll see the sun shining through  
For you.

--_Smile _by Charlie Chaplin

* * *

Five years earlier, Rachel Berry chose to uproot her life and move halfway across the globe to London _because of a boy_.

At the time, she made the decision out of pettiness and hurt because she was afraid to face a life she thought that she couldn't understand.

But in the long run, it was the best decision of her life.

* * *

It began with an end.

_Shoving his hands deep into his coat pockets, Dean took a deep breath. Rachel wondered why he had asked to meet her at the park out of the blue that morning; but now the troubled look that crossed his handsome face made her worried._

"_What's wrong?" Rachel asked timidly. "Why'd you ask to meet me here?"_

"_Rach…" Dean started, running a hand through his short, sandy brown hair. "I can't marry you."_

_Rachel's jaw dropped and she felt something tear inside of her. She wanted to say something—she had something to say for everything—but no words would formulate._

_He dropped his head and turned to walk away, but then he looked back. When his painstakingly blue eyes met her deep brown ones, he said, "I'm sorry."_

"_Why?" was the only word she could choke out as the tears formed._

_Dean shook his head and repeated, "I'm sorry." _

_He then walked away from her._

Rachel Berry was not used to not being prepared, and as such, everything she did came with a carefully constructed plan.

So at the abrupt end of her engagement, Rachel promptly went into her routine of crying, freaking out, composing herself, and plastering on a smile. Then she went to the extreme in order to figure out what to do next.

Of course, only Rachel Berry could come up with one of the most extreme and dramatic solutions to cure a broken heart.

Moving to London was a bit rash and extreme even for her, she will admit. But, luckily, everything came together for her.

Rachel spent two days after the break-up figuring out what to do, and all she knew was that she couldn't stay. Fortunately, she had a new independent project that was being filmed in England which provided the perfect getaway.

She fell in love with London. The sites, the sounds, everything about it just called out to her even more than New York's Broadway ever did.

And most importantly, no one had ever heard of Dean Matthews.

She decided to stay.

* * *

Rachel had made a home of the same hotel ever since the end of the film's shooting, but she decided that it was time to find her own place.

Finding her dream apartment—or flat, as it were called—was a stroke of luck.

_Flashback:_

_Rachel walked towards the Starbucks across the street from her hotel. As she entered the door, she shivered as the pleasant warmness enveloped her. She ordered her forbidden and vocal-cord-destroying treat of a venti white chocolate mocha with a double shot of espresso and a bagel. After grabbing her order and finding a table, she noticed a stack of newspapers and decided to leaf through one to find some available real estate._

_Money wasn't an issue for the actress, but finding a place that spoke to her was the most difficult part for Rachel. Nothing in the newspaper appealed to her, and she was slightly distraught._

_However, her worries were soon to be for naught as her prayers would be answered in that very café._

"_You know, the only thing I hate about you getting married is your moving out," a pretty accented voice said. "Now I have to find and break in a new flat-mate."_

_Rachel's ears piqued. She normally didn't approve of eavesdropping, but she couldn't help herself. She turned towards where the voice came from and saw two women nursing their coffees._

"_I know," the other woman said. "But you'll do fine."_

"_Easy for you to say," the first voice said. "I had a hard time adjusting to you at first. I have to start all over again!"_

_Rachel looked at the two, debating whether or not she should speak up. The first woman was a beautiful African-British (_if that is the politically correct term,_ Rachel thought) woman with striking features and an outfit that screamed something artsy about her. The other was a pretty blue-eyed blonde that donned both an engagement ring and a dark grey suit that implied businesswoman. Looking at them individually, Rachel thought that she would have never guessed the two were friends. But together, they were an imposing force._

_With nothing to lose, Rachel decided to take a risk. She took a deep breath, pushed herself out of her chair, and walked towards the pair._

"_Excuse me," she started nervously. "I was sitting over there, and I rudely eavesdropped on your conversation. I just decided to move to London, and I'm looking for a flat to share or rent."_

_The two just stared at her silently, waiting for her to continue._

_Rachel turned to the woman losing her roommate and said, "So, I'm sure that it's really odd for a complete stranger to suddenly want to share an apartment with you, but I'm really interested in seeing the place at least." Not really sure what else to say, she kind of grasped at straws and blurted, "I promise that I'm a really nice person and totally not serial-killer material."_

_The woman who was getting married gave her roommate with a knowing look. Pursing her lips, the other woman glared at her appraisingly and finally said, "A Yank? It's a possibility. I'm Gwen. And you are?"_

"_Rachel Berry."_

_Gwen introduced Emily, who was getting married two weeks later, and invited Rachel to visit the apartment. As soon as she walked in the door, Rachel knew that this was the right place for her. The bedroom was spacious with natural lighting, and the kitchen was equipped with everything she could ever need if she ever wanted to cook._

_She informed Gwen that she loved the place and that the rent should not be a problem for her._

_The dark-skinned beauty wrapped her fashionably-clad arm around Rachel's shoulders and said, "Well, Rachel Berry, this is a start to something new. Welcome home."_

* * *

Rachel's dreams and aspirations were not all shot down just because she changed locations. All it meant was that she had to adjust and work with what she had. And, luckily for her, what she now had was London's West End theatre.

She had at first feared that the London stage would not find her a suitable actress, but she was pleasantly surprised (read: ecstatic) when she got her callback as Maureen in _Rent_.

Rehearsing every day and performing by night, Rachel found her fill of musical theatre heaven. And the audience loved her. Rave reviews were made about the rising American star with a heavenly voice who was making her way as the lead of quite a few productions. She became the belle of West End.

* * *

A day hasn't passed in which Rachel Berry forgot about her life before London. A day hasn't passed in which she hasn't felt the pain. But with each passing day the pain was slowly ebbing away. She was gaining back the control and confidence in her life.

Gwen, a part-time artist and a full-time gallery owner, quickly became Rachel's closest friend in London (although the now married Emily and her husband James were close seconds). She kept in touch with Quinn and Finn and her fathers, of course, all of whom visited whenever they could. Rachel also bonded and made lasting friendships with her cast mates in every production she worked on, often in which she was the lead.

Five years had passed, and now Rachel was the lead in yet another revival of _The Phantom of the Opera_ after having _West Side Story_, _Wicked_, _Beauty and the Beast, _and _Rent_ on her very impressive resume.

She was twenty-seven and already a successful ingénue. Rachel couldn't have asked for more.

Except… something was missing for her. And she knew what it was.

But she wasn't about to let her heart get broken again. Dean Matthews had already done a great job of that.

* * *

Lying on her stomach on her plush lavender bedspread, Rachel was peacefully tuning out Gwen's designated art music and reading her copy of _Ivanhoe_ for the millionth time. _Most girls love _Pride and Prejudice_ or _Jane Eyre, she would often say_, but _Ivanhoe_ is badass, chivalrous, and romantic. Plus, Rebecca is a Jew, you know._

She was so engrossed in Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert's declaration of love for Rebecca that Rachel jumped as she heard Gwen yell for her about a visitor. Curious because she wasn't expecting anyone, she marked her place in the book and then set off down the stairs to see who her guest was.

Rachel gaped when she saw someone that she never would have guessed would ever call on her.

The boy who once threw slushies at her.

The boy who sang to her, broke up with her, and became her friend.

The boy who she hadn't spoken to since college.

"Puck?!"

* * *

**Author's Note: HEY!!! I am so sorry for the really, really delayed update! I've been really busy the past month with schoolwork and college stuff and **_**Ivanhoe**_** (I am finding myself in love with the ever-bad Sir Brian, who must be the most misunderstood and romantic character in all of literature). So I really hope you enjoy this, although I know it lacks Puckleberry. It was meant to just give some background on Rachel.**

**And, please make use of the review button! I've noticed that, like, over a hundred of you guys have made this your favorite story or have put this on story alert. It doesn't take that long to do, and it makes me feel better knowing your thoughts on how this is progressing. I know, I'm a really bratty review whore. But I swear I'm really nice! Hahaha… sort of. Anyways, I bid you adieu until next time!**

**--Bee**


	6. Namaste

**A/N: I just realized that I've been a very bad girl as I often forget to make a disclaimer. So, here it is: Fox and Mr. Murphy may own the Glee characters, but the storyline and OCs are mine!**

Reunited and it feels so good  
Reunited 'cause we understood  
There's one perfect fit  
And, sugar, this one is it  
We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey

—_Reunited_ by Peaches and Herb

* * *

"Uh, yeah. Hey, Berry. It's been a while." Noah said shyly.

Rachel let go of the staircase rails and rushed towards Noah, pulling him into a hug. "Wow, it's been such a long time! I never thought I would ever see you again," she breathed as she looked into his eyes.

Noah had to look away in fear of getting lost in her chocolate orbs. "Yeah, I'm sure. I was talking to Quinn at Artie's party a few days ago, and she told me you were in London. I figured it would be nice to meet up with you, since I'm here on business."

"That's great! I'm so excited. Come, come," Rachel said as she pulled Noah towards the couch. He sucked in a breath as he felt something spark when she grabbed his hand. "Tell me how everything has been for you. We haven't really talked since… Wow. I just realized the last time I saw you was during winter break sophomore year of college! We really need to catch up."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that I could take you out to dinner tonight," he said uncertainly.

"Oh, sure. But would you mind if Gwen tagged along? She and I had plans to go out for dinner tonight," Rachel said.

"Is Gwen the girl that opened the door?"

"Yeah, she's my roommate."

Noah didn't see the harm in it, so he agreed.

* * *

The trio made small talk as they walked to the Indian restaurant Namaste, where the roommates dined every Friday and that Rachel insisted had the most "orgasmic" food she had ever had the pleasure of consuming (_That's an image I really did not need,_ Noah thought).

They were greeted by the maître d', with whom the girls were on a first name basis. The restaurant had a casual atmosphere that was so welcoming and warm that Noah had no problem seeing why Rachel loved it here. The color scheme was bold with personal touches everywhere, and there was even a wall for pictures of celebrities that have dined there. And, of course, there was a picture of Rachel in all of her West End glory and a gold star next to her autograph.

They were led to the girls' usual table by Sanjay, the waiter. After they were seated and promised that their usual orders would arrive (Noah agreed to have whatever they were having), Rachel sighed in relief and turned to Noah. "Honestly, I don't know what I would have done if there weren't Indian restaurants in England. They are the only places that have food with any flavor. Seriously, everything else is so incredibly insipid and bland."

Gwen snorted. "Oh please, Rachel. You've barely been anywhere else." She turned to Noah as well and said, "She's become quite the domestic you know. After a few weeks of living off of only sandwiches and Indian food, she insisted on learning how to cook for the both of us."

Rachel waved away the comment and continued. "So, Puck, how have things been?"

He grinned sheepishly and said, "Well, for starters, I no longer go by Puck. I've had to learn to become a professional and I've accepted the use of my given name. Plus, I recall someone telling me that Puck is the name of a fairy."

"Oh, yes. I remember that," Rachel replied. "But it was the truth. Noah is such a wonderful name. I never understood why you refused to be called as such."

"Well, I was young and immature and way too full of myself back then," he said. "I've changed a lot since then."

Rachel looked at him thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hands. "I've noticed. But then again, we've all changed."

"Yeah, you sure have," he said wistfully (wistfully, I tell you!). Noah caught himself and said, "I mean, like, I have never seen you more mellow in my life, Berry. It's almost like aliens abducted you and gave you a lobotomy."

She stuck her tongue out at him and giggled. "After some self-examination, I became conscious of the fact that my brash self-confidence could be viewed as arrogance or obnoxiousness. So I decided to…tone it down a bit. I realized that people would probably not want to work with me if I carried on as I did previously, and that would simply not do for my success."

"And now, she has quite the loveliest of personalities," Gwen interrupted.

However, Noah didn't really believe Rachel. He had a nagging feeling that it was less about work and more about Dean, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

The group chatted amicably throughout their dinner about Noah's and Rachel's respective past eight years. After dinner, Rachel headed to "the loo," leaving Noah and Gwen to make small talk.

Or, so Noah thought it would be until he realized how intense Gwen really was.

"So. How long have you been in love with Rachel?" she asked.

He blinked, not expecting such a blunt question. "What?"

"You heard me. I've been observing you all night," Gwen said. "You can't stop making goo-goo eyes at her."

Noah sighed and realized that there was no way out of it. "Caught me, have you?"

"Yup."

"Well, I'm not in love with her," he insisted. _At least I don't think so_…

"Uh-huh. And I'm a wizard," Gwen said, rolling her eyes.

"It was just a high school crush. Nothing more. Except for that one time when we were together for less than a week, but that's something completely different…" He trailed off.

Gwen smirked. "I'm sure. She told me about your adorable rendition of "Sweet Caroline," you know. Look, I can tell that you like her and that it's genuine. But you're going to be leaving soon. Lord knows that I want her to be happy, and I think that you are capable of doing that. However, she's barely healed from a broken heart and—"

She saw Rachel heading back to the table and then quickly said, "So you better think carefully of what your next move is going to be because if you hurt her, I'll hurt you. Got it?"

Noah didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. "Yeah."

Right then, Rachel plopped back down in her seat and smiled brightly at her two friends. "So, who's ready for dessert?"

* * *

After walking home from the restaurant, Gwen left the two former Glee clubbers alone on the doorstep to say their farewells.

"So…" Noah drew out. His hands were once again stuffed in his pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

"So…" Rachel repeated.

He wasn't quite sure of what he should say as he left her on her doorstep. Noah couldn't quite say goodbye just because he couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.

"Um…this was fun."

"Yes, yes it was," Rachel agreed. "We should hang out again before you return to the States."

Noah smiled. "That's exactly what I was thinking. Or rather, I was thinking that since I'm stuck here for an undetermined amount of time, we could hang out more. How does tomorrow look?"

Rachel bit her lip in that cute way that got him every time. "Okay, I guess so. I'm free for most of the day, but I do have a show in the evening. I can take you for a tour, and then maybe you can come see my show?"

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "That sounds great."

Shooting him a mega-watt smile, Rachel twisted her key in the lock and said, "Great. I'll text you later about the details?"

"Sure."

Rachel paused for a moment in the doorway, staring at him as if contemplating something. She quickly stepped back and softly kissed Noah on the cheek. After stepping inside, she turned around again and smiled shyly. "I really missed you, Noah. It's _really _good to see you again."

"Same here."

The door was an inch away from being closed when she softly said, "Bye."

Noah just stood there in awe of what just transpired.

Damn, he was in trouble.

* * *

**Author's Note: YAY! Another chapter! Thanks for all of the love and support I've been getting from my readers. However, after receiving way more story alerts than review alerts, I made an impulsive decision: I'm probably not going to update until I hit 60-65 reviews. I know, it's kind of a lot to ask for, but I really feel weird writing this and not getting a lot of feedback. So please show some more love!**

**But you can content yourself for my new Puckleberry story **_**Maybe (Not)**_**, which should be posted up soon. I know that it's horrible of me to start a new story when I'm not even finished with this one, but my muse hit me hard and fast. It's completely AU. In a nutshell, it's about Rachel going to college and working hard to make a success out of herself. However, after meeting the bad boy roommate of her new kinda crush, something begins to develop slowly but surely and hitting her hard. **

**Here's a preview: **

"**STOP!" Rachel yelled, throwing her hands in the air. She took a deep breath and calmly continued with, "I'll be fine. My roommate will not be psychotic, and I will most definitely not be living with my dads in Ohio for the next thirty years. I feel that it is to your and my best interest that I go to school here, where I believe that I will work the hardest and be the most successful. This is for the best."**

**They took turns hugging her and reminding her to call at least once a day. As they exited the room, the two fathers turned and glanced back one last time at their newly independent daughter, who was smiling and waving goodbye.**

**After her dads were gone, Rachel closed her door and slid down to the floor against it. Looking at her new home after a few peaceful moments, Rachel smiled.**

_**This is it**_**, she thought. **_**A fresh start. New people, new experiences. Leave the innocent and ignorant Rachel Berry back in Lima, Ohio. It's time for a new genesis.**_

**College was going to be **_**so**_** much fun.**


	7. Author's Apology

Hey guys, sorry about the delay on everything. My laptop is violently infected by some stupid virus, and I've stopped using it. Subsequently, I have also lost the documents with my stories on them, so I have to start all over. Hopefully I will be able to post soon.

Thanks for bearing with me!

-B


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